Tide operated water lifting device



March 3, 1964 R. P. BONAMY 3,122,889

TIDE OPERATED WATER LIFTING DEVICE Filed July 20, 1960 i 3 I IN VEN TOR.7 fioberf/E' Bonamy aT/m cww HTTORNEY United States Patent 3,122,889TZDE OPERATED WATER LIFTING DEVT'CE Robert P. Bonamy, 17421 SpringbrookRoad, Renton, Wash. Filed .l'uly 2t 1960, Ser. No. 44,664 3 Claims. (61.612i) My invention relates to a tide operated water lifting device.

An obiect of my invention is to provide simple and eflicient tideactuated water lifting apparatus by which the rise and fall of water dueto tides can be utilized to lift some of that water to a substantialdistance above the maximum elevation of the water at high tide so thatthe water thus lifted can be used to generate power or can be used forany other purpose for which it is suited.

Another object of my invention is to provide tide operated water liftingapparatus which is substantially automatic in its operation and whichrequires very little attention.

Another object is to provide tide operated water 11fting apparatus whichmakes use of a large amount of water operating through a short lever armto move a longer lever arm and in so doing to lift a smaller amount ofwater to a relatively high elevation.

Other objects of my invention will be apparent from the followingdescription taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a tide operated water lifting deviceconstructed in accordance with my invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan View of the same with parts broken away.

FIG. 3 is a sectional View taken substantially on broken line 33 of FIG.2, showing in full lines the device in a lowered horizontal position andby dot and dash lines said device in a maximum raised substantiallyupright position.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view showing this water lifting devicein an intermediate position and illustrating the operation of a helpertank in counterbalancing the device as it moves from an upright to ahorizontal position.

FIG. 5 is a detached sectional view illustrating one form of dischargecontrol valve that may be used to control the discharge of water from awater lift tank.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view showing a water inlet controlvalve adapted to be opened just before the downwardly moving tankassembly reaches a horizontal position and to be closed at about thetime said tank assembly has reached its lowermost or horizontalposition.

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary view similar to FIG. 6 showing a Water inletcontrol valve of modified form.

PEG. 8 is a schematic View showing an L-shaped tide operated waterlifting device of this type mounted in suspended relation beneath a dockor pier.

Like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the severalviews.

The embodiment of my tide operated water lifting device shown in FIGS. 1to 6 inclusive is in the form of a T-shaped tank assembly comprising twoparallel side by side tanks 1d and 11 and a lift tank 12 perpendicularto said two tanks 16 and 11. The tank 1% is herein termed a helper tank.It has a sufiiciently open top so that, in certain positions, water canflow freely into and out of it. The top of this tank is herein shown ascompletely open but it can be partially closed or covered withoutchanging the mode of operation of said tank 1! The tank 11 is acounterbalance and buoyancy tank. It communicates by way of an opening13 with the water lift tank 12 and is provided with a valve controlledwater outlet conduit, as hereinafter described, but is otherwise closedso that it is water tight. The water lift tank 12 has an air reliefopening or vent 14 in its top wall near the outer end of said tank 12and the bottom of said tank 12 is provided, near its junction with thetank 11, with valve controlled water inlet means of a form shown in FIG.6 andhereinafter described. The three tanks 10, 11 and 12 are rigidelative to each other and they are preferably formed of metal.

The two tanks 10 and 11 are longer than the water lift tank 12 and theywill hold a substantially greater amount of water than said water lifttank 12 thus providing for a much heavier weight of water on the shortend of a lever arm formed by the three tanks.

The tank assembly formed of the three tanks ll), 11 and 12. is pivotallysupported by hinges 15 or suitable pivot means strong enough to supportsaid assembly so that it can be moved angularly between a horizontal anda vertical position about the pivot axis exemplified by the hinges 15and which is located closely adjacent to the lowermost corner of theweight and buoyancy tank 11 and at the side thereof which is connectedwith an end portion of the water lift tank 12. The hinges 15 can besecured to rigid supports 16 of any suitable form. Also a support 17 isprovided for the outer end portion of the water lift tank 12 to rest onwhen the tank assembly is in a horizontal position.

The weight and buoyancy tank 11 is provided with valve controlled meansthrough which water from said tank 11 and the water lift tank 12 candischarge under the head provided by said water lift tank 12 when theassembly of tanks is in an upright position. Obviously this waterdischarge control means can be operated automatically. However the waterdischarge control valve shown in FIG. 5 is manually operated. Said waterdis charge control means comprises a conduit 18 connected with a portionof the tank '11 which will be at the bottom of said tank 11 when theassembly of tanks is in an upright position. A valve 19 is connectedwith the conduit 13 and another conduit 2%, preferably in the form of aflexible hose, is connected with said valve 19. The valve 19' has a part19a which can be moved by a handle 21 into a closed position, as shownin PEG. 5, or into a position to communicatively connect the conduit 18with the hose 2%, or into a position to close the passageway to the hose2 and communicatively connect the conduit 18 with a drain port 22 insaid valve 19 so that all of the water can be drained out of the tank 11and the full buoyancy of the tank 11 utilized when the tide again risesto start movement of the tank assembly toward a horizontal position.

The inlet of Water to the two tanks 11 and 12 may be controlled by valvemeans of the type shown in FIG. 6. This valve and Water inlet controlmeans comprises a water inlet opening or port 24 in the bottom wall 12aof the water lift tank 12, a valve stem 25 extending through said port24 and guided for longitudinal movement in two guide members 26 and 27,a valve 28 rigid with the stem 25 and positioned within the tank 12 andcapable of closing the port 24, a compression spring 29 interposedbetween the valve 23 and the guide 26 urging the valve 28 downwardlyinto a closed position relative to the port 24-. The lower end of thevalve stem 25 protrudes below the bottom of the tank 12 and is adaptedto contact and rest on a slide member 36 as the tank assembly, in moving downwardly from an upright position approaches the horizontal. Theslide member 30 is movably supported in a fixed horizontal guide frame31. A compression spring 32 urges said slide member 30 to the left asrespects the showing in FIG. 6. The slide 30 has a transverse hole orslot 33 in it through which the valve stem 25 can protrude. The hole 33is of considerably larger size than the valve stem to provide ampleclearance for the valve stem. Holes or slots 34 are also provided intheguide frame 31 in registration with the hole 33 and above and belowthe slide member 39.

As the assembly of tanks 10, 11 and 12 is moved toward a horizontalposition and shortly before the water lift tank 12 comes. to rest on thesupport 17 the valve stem 25 will be stopped by engagement with theslide member 36 and the tank 12 will continue to move downwardly. Thismoves the tank bottom 12a away from the valves 28 and leaves the port 24open. At the time this opening of the valve 28 occurs the level of theWater in which the tanks are operating will be well above the port 24and the water will enter and begin to fill the tanks 11 and 12. As thiswater continues to flow into the tanks 11 and 12 the buoyancy of both ofthese tanks will be reduced and the reduction in buoyancy of the waterlift tank, with its longer leverage, will cause the tanks to continue tomove toward the horizontal. After the tanks 11 and 12 are completelyfilled wtih water and just before the outer end of the lift tank 12comes to rest on the support 17 the end of the valve stem 25 will moveclear of the slide 3% and into the opening 33. This will allow thespring 29 to close the valve 28 and hold said valve closed until it isagain opened by the stem 25 engaging the slide 30 in the next cycle ofoperation of the tanks. The spring pressed slide 39 will yield and moveto the right relative to the position in which it is shown in FIG. 6when said valve stem is protruding into the hole 33 and the tankassembly starts to move from a horizontal toward a vertical position.

FIG. 7 shows a valve opening device of modified form which will functionin substantially the same manner as the device of FIG. 6 in opening thevalve 28. Said FIG. 7 shows an upwardly extending pawl 40 which has itslower end portion mounted on a pivot member 41 in a fixed frame 42. Acompression spring 43 yieldingly urges the pawl 40 to the left against astop member 44. As the tank 12 moves downwardly the stem 25 will firstcome to rest on the pawl 40 and open the valve 28 and will then drop offof the pawl 40 and allow the spring 29 to close said valve. Also thepawl 40 will yield to the right in permitting upward movement of thevalve stem 25 as the tank 12 starts to move upwardly from a horizontalposition.

This device is installed where there is a rise and fall of tide water.The supports and pivots for the same are preferably positioned at achosen elevation such that when the tanks 10, 11 and 12 are horizontaland the tide is at maximum height these tanks will be completely submerged and filled with water. At this time the valves 19 and 28 willboth be closed. As the tide starts to recede the tanks will remain in ahorizontal position until the tide has receded far enough so that theweight of the tanks 10 and 11 and particularly the weight of water inthe unsubmerged parts of said tanks 10 and 11, acting through a shorterlever arm, is great enough to begin to overbalance the weight of thewater lift tank 12 and water therein, acting through a longer lever arm,and starts to swingingly move the tank assembly and raise the lift tank12. This upward swinging movement of the lift tank 12 will continuefairly uniformly and evenly as the tide continues to recede, with thetanks always in a condition of balance. Some water will be spilled overthe edge of the helper tank 10 as it continues to move downwardly andthe lever arms through which the weight of the downwardly moving tanks10 and 11 and the upwardly moving tank 12 act about the pivot means 15will continue to decrease until the tanks reach a substantially uprightposition and are stopped in this position, in which they are shown bydot and dash lines in FIG. 3.

As the tank assembly approaches the upright position the center ofgravity line of the lift tank 12 will cross or pass from one side to theother of the pivots 15 and the assembly of tanks will tend to remain inan upright position. Preferably resilient bumper or shock absorberdevices 23 are provided on the supports 16 for the tanks 10 and 11 tobump against when said tanks reach a substantially vertical position.

After the tanks 10, 11 and 12 have reached the upright position thevalve 19, with which the hose 20 is connected, can be opened and waterfrom the tanks 11 and 12 discharged under a head, which at thebeginning, is equal to the height of the upper end of the water lifttank 12 and which decreases as the water discharges from said tanks. Ifit is not convenient to lower the discharge end of the hose 20 enough todrain all of the water out of the tanks 11 and 12 then the valve 19 canbe positioned so as to allow all of this water to drain out through thedischarge opening 22 in the valve 19. This draining is necessary torender the tank 11 buoyant so the next rising tide will move the tanksback toward a horizontal position. After the upright tanks have beendrained the valve 19 is closed leaving the tanks ready to be lowered bythe next rising tide. As water rises around the upright tanks the helpertank 10 will begin to fill with water but the tanks will remain uprightuntil the buoyancy of the rising water, acting on the counterbalance andbuoyancy tank 11, is sufficient to overbalance the weight of the tankassembly about the ofif-center hinges 15 and start to swing ingly movesaid tank assembly, FIG. 3, in a clockwise direction.

Before this swinging movement of the tank assembly toward the horizontalcan be started by the rising water the helper tank 18 will be submergedand filled with water. When the vertical line which passes through thecenter of gravity of the upright water lift tank 12 crosses thehorizontal axis of the pivots 15, as the tank assembly starts to movetoward the horizontal position, the downward movement of the water lifttank 12 will accelerate through about the first forty-five degrees. Thisacceleration will be checked by the lifting of the water filled helpertank out of the water and the downward movement of the water lift tank12 will be substantially stopped in about the position in which it isshown in FIG. 4. Then, as the tide continues to rise, the tank assemblywill continue to move slowly toward the horizontal and just before itreaches a horizontal position the valve 28, which controls admission ofwater to the tanks 11 and 12 will be opened and the tanks 11 and 12filled with water. At about the time the tanks 11 and 12 are completelyfilled with water the tank assembly will be near enough to thehorizontal position so that the valve 28 will be closed. This leaves thetanks ready for the next move to a vertical position as the tiderecedes.

In some instances this device can be positioned in fresh water which isbacked up by tidal Waters, such as in the mouth of a river, or it can bepositioned in a stream where the water can be caused to rise by theclosing of a gate in a dam and can be lowered by the opening of saidgate. This fresh water can be used for irrigation.

FIG. 8 discloses an L-shaped embodiment of my invention suspended from adock or pier 45 and capable of functioning in the same manner as thedevice disclosed in FIGS. 1 to 7. The device shown in FIG. 8 comprises ahelper tank 46, a counterbalance and buoyancy tank 47 and a water lifttank 48, all similar to the tanks 10, 11 and 12, respectively, exceptthat the water lift tank 48 is connected with the counterbalance andbuoyancy tank 47 adjacent one end thereof instead of at a point mid-waybetween the two ends of said tank 47. Suitable hangers 49, two of whichare shown, extend downwardly from the pier 45 and pivot members 50pivotally connect the tank assembly with these hangers 49. The locationof pivot members 50 relative to tank 47 corresponds to the location ofhinges 15 relative to tank 11. Valve controlled water outlet and inletdevices similar to those shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 are connected with therespective tanks 47 and 48.

The foregoing description and accompanying drawings clearly disclose apreferred embodiment of my invention but it will be understood that thisdisclosure is merely illustrative and that changes may be made withinthe scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In tide operated water lifting devices, a tank assembly comprising along narrow helper tank having a top opening providing free inflow andoutflow of water; a long narrow enclosed counterbalance and buoyancytank rigid with and positioned alongside of said helper tank; a longnarrow water lift tank perpendicular to and extending in one directionfrom and having one end thereof rigid with and communicating with saidcounterbalance and buoyancy tank; pivot means mounting the threeassembled tanks for swinging movement between a substantially horizontaland a substantially vertical position on a horizontal axis adjacent toand parallel with the lowermost corner of said counterbalance andbuoyancy tank and at the side thereof with which said one end of saidwater lift tank is connected; valve controlled water inlet meansprovided in the bottom of said water lift tank adjacent the junction ofsaid water lift tank and said counterbalance and buoyancy tank; andvalve controlled water outlet means connected with a portion of saidcounterbalance and buoyancy tank which is lowermost when said tankassembly is in a substantially vertical position.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which valve operating devicesare provided in connection with the valve controlled water inlet meansof said water lift tank, said valve operating devices first opening andthen closing a valve of said valve controlled water inlet means as thetank assembly in moving downwardly approaches a horizontal position.

3. Tide operated water lifting devices comprising supporting meanscapable of supporting a tank assembly in a location subject to tides andbelow the level of the water at high tide; a long closed water lifttank; a long closed counterbalance and buoyancy tank of substantiallygreater volume than said water lift tank rigid with one end portion ofsaid water lift tank and extending crosswise of the water lift tank andcommunicating freely with the end of said water lift tank with which itis connected; valve controlled water inlet means capable of admittingwater to the bottom portions of said two tanks adjacent the locationwhere they are connected with each other; a long helper tank rigid withand parallel with and positioned alongside of said counterbalance andbuoyancy tank at the side thereof opposite said water lift tank, saidhelper tank being open at the top and being of substantially greatervolume than said water lift tank; said valve controlled water inletmeans being in the bottom wall of the water lift tank adjacent thecounterbalance and buoyancy tank; pivot means mounting the threeassembled tanks on said supporting means for pivotal movement of saidtanks between a substantially horizontal and a substantially verticalposition, the axis of said pivot means being parallel to and adjacent tothe lowermost corner of said counterbalance and buoyancy tank at theside thereof with which an end of said water lift tank is connected,whereby when said three assembled tanks are horizontal tide water risingapproic'mately to the level of the tops of said tanks will fill all ofsaid tanks and as the tide Water recedes the weight of Water in saidtanks will pivotally move said three tanks and elevate said water lifttank into a substantially upright position; and valve controlled wateroutlet means connected with a portion of said counterbalance andbuoyancy tank which is lowermost when the three tanks are vertical.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 29,906Osborn Sept. 4, 1860 861,997 Luck July 30, 1907 2,385,943 RosenstengelOct. 2, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS 664,876 Germany Sept. 7, 1938

1. IN TIDE OPERATED WATER LIFTING DEVICES, A TANK ASSEMBLY COMPRISING ALONG NARROW HELPER TANK HAVING A TOP OPENING PROVIDING FREE INFLOW ANDOUTFLOW OF WATER; A LONG NARROW ENCLOSED COUNTERBALANCE AND BUOYANCYTANK RIGID WITH AND POSITIONED ALONGSIDE OF SAID HELPER TANK; A LONGNARROW WATER LIFT TANK PERPENDICULAR TO AND EXTENDING IN ONE DIRECTIONFROM AND HAVING ONE END THEREOF RIGID WITH AND COMMUNICATING WITH SAIDCOUNTERBALANCE AND BUOYANCY TANK; PIVOT MEANS MOUNTING THE THREEASSEMBLED TANKS FOR SWINGING MOVEMENT BETWEEN A SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTALAND A SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL POSITION ON A HORIZONTAL AXIS ADJACENT TOAND PARALLEL WITH THE LOWERMOST CORNER OF SAID COUNTERBALANCE ANDBUOYANCY TANK AND AT THE SIDE THEREOF WITH WHICH SAID ONE END OF SAIDWATER LIFT TANK IS CONNECTED; VALVE CONTROLLED WATER INLET MEANSPROVIDED IN THE BOTTOM OF SAID WATER LIFT TANK ADJACENT THE JUNCTION OFSAID WATER LIFT TANK AND SAID COUNTERBALANCE AND BUOYANCY TANK; ANDVALVE CONTROLLED WATER OUTLET MEANS CONNECTED WITH A PORTION OF SAIDCOUNTERBALANCE AND BUOYANCY TANK WHICH IS LOWERMOST WHEN SAID TANKASSEMBLY IS IN A SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL POSITION.